Cross-country type ski binding system

ABSTRACT

In a cross-country type ski binding system having ski binding means consisting of a toe iron, a spring wire bail and a lock for said bail both pivotally mounted, the lock ahead of said bail, on said toe iron via longitudinally spaced apart respective stationary pivot axes, improvement in said ski binding means, whereby to positively lock in said toe iron the toe of a ski boot while permitting maximum lift of the heel thereof, said improvement comprising means on each of said bail and said lock forming a movable pivot axis which, in clamping, moves overcenter in respect to said stationary pivot axes.

United States Patent [191 Fredriksen Jan. 21, 1975 1 CROSS-COUNTRY TYPE SKI BINDING [58] Field 0fSearch...280/l 1.35 B, 11.35 V, 1 1.35 L, 280/11.35 W, 11.35 Z

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,190,667 6/1965 Wiedermann 280/11.35 Z 3,481,618 12/1969 With 2130/1135 B FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 97,886 0/1940 Sweden 280/1 1.35 B 55,085 0/1935 Norway 280/1 1.35 B 103,316 12/1941 Switzerland 280/11.35 B 97,520 11/1939 Switzerland 280/1 1.35 B

8/1942 Switzerland 280/1 1.35 B 3/1970 Norway 280/1 1.35 B

[57] ABSTRACT In a cross-country type ski binding system having ski binding means consisting of a toe iron, a spring wire bail and a lock for said bail both pivotally mounted, the lock ahead of said bail, on said toe iron via longitudinally spaced apart respective stationary pivot axes, improvement in said ski binding means, whereby to positively lock in said toe iron the toe of a ski boot while permitting maximum lift of the heel thereof, said improvement comprising means on each of said bail and said lock forming a movable pivot axis which, in clamping, moves over-center in respect to said stationary pivot axes.

3 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures CROSS-COUNTRY TYPE SKI BINDING SYSTEM My invention relates to cross-country type skiing.

The principal object of my invention is the provision of a cross-country type ski binding system which positively locks the toe of a ski boot while permitting maximum lift of the heel thereof to comfortably attain maximum stride and which accommodates different sizes of ski boots.

The foregoing object of my invention and the advantages thereof will become apparent during the course of the following description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1-4 are, respectively, top plan, side and front elevational and sectional views of a cross-country type ski binding system embodying my invention; and

FIGS. 5-9 are similar views of another embodiment of my invention.

Referring to the drawings in greater detail and first to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 1-4, 5 generally designates said embodiment which comprises a toe iron having a flat plate 6 and a forward extension 7 anchored to a ski S by suitable fastening means 10 and having upstanding vertical walls 8 and 9, respectively. The toe of a ski boot B fits over the plate 6 between the walls 8 and is held in place thereon by conventional spikes 11 which upstand from the plate 6 and penetrate corresponding apertures in the sole of said boot B and by a clamp member 25 which is a spring wire bail which is pivotally mounted in the walls 8 by a pair of rivets 24 fastened in respective apertures 14 in said walls 8. Said clamp member 25 has ends 26 which operate in cavities 22 in said rivets 24, sections 28 thereof which swing beneath the pivot axis to apply clamping pressure therefrom to the boot B, a section 30 thereof which distributes such clamping pressure across the top of the boot B and a section 32 thereof which is free of the boot B by virtue of being upwardly bent in respect to the section 30. The pivot axis 24 for the clamp member 25 is in substantial longitudinal alignment with said spikes 11. A lock member for the clamp member 25 is pivotally mounted in the walls 9 by a rivet 12 and normally held spring pressed against the ski S (so as to oppose anti-clockwise rotation as viewed in FIGS. 1 and 2) by a spring having a coil wrapped about the shank of said rivet 12. The rearward end of the lock member 15 facing the boot B has a cam surface 19 formed thereon which guides the front end of the clamp member into a detent 18 formed in said lock member 15 when said clamp member 25 is pushed upon, as by a ski pole, to lock it in clamp position. Said detent 18 serves as a holding means for holding the members 15 and 25 in engagement with each other during movement of said clamp member 25 between its clamp and release positions. In moving between clamp and unclamp or release positions, the front end of the clamp member 25 and said detent 18 form a moveable pivot axle which moves over center in respect to the two stationary pivot axes l2 and 24 between which said moveable pivot axis operates. As shown in FIG. 2, the clamp member 25, in its release position, can swing clear of the lock member 15 but in its clamp position is held by said lock member 15 and the ski boot B. Said holding means or detent l8 and the spring wire member 25 form a pivot axis which moves over-center in respect to said two stationary pivot axis 12 and 24 during movement of said clamp member 25 between its clamp and release positions.

Because the front end of said clamp member 25 and said detent 18 move in oppositely facing arcs the spring wire member 18 is placed under compression during said over-center movement. It is this superior force required to effect such over-center movement which overcomes any tendency of the clamp member 25 to move, unassisted, out of its clamp position. Pushing upon the forward end of the lock member 15 releases the clamp member 25 by causing the front end of the latter to move upwardly into its release position. A depression 17 is formed in the rear end of the lock member 15 to operatively receive the end of a ski pole.

By virtue of the downwardly extending sections 28 being each disposed between two bends in the clamp member 25 and applying clamping pressure to the ski boot B beneath the pivot axis 24 and in substantial longitudinal alignment with said spikes 11 the ski boot B is positively locked in place in the toe iron while maximum lift of the heel thereof is permitted to comfortably attain maximum stride which is so important in cross- ,country type skiing. Such maximum lift of the heel is permitted as shown at B in FIG. 2 because a minimum part of the boot B is captured and held in place in the toe iron due to the strength and location of the clamping force and over center movement of the locked end of the bail as described.

Referring to the embodiment shown in FIGS. 5-9, generally designates said embodiment which comprises an adjustable toe iron to accommodate different sizes of boots having a flat base plate 40 and a forward extension 42 anchored to a ski S by suitable fastening means and having vertical walls 44 upstanding from said extension 42. A top plate 46 has suitably bent front and back flanges by which it rests upon and is riveted, as at 48, to said base plate 40 with which it forms a double open sided tunnel of rectangular cross section in which slidably operates a pair of oppositely moveable toe iron plates 50 and 51 having upstanding vertical walls 52 and 53, respectively. Mutually engaging front and back arms 56, 58, and 57, 59 are formed on said plates 50 and 51, respectively, to prevent them from rocking as they move transversely of the ski S. In its movement the plate 50 also engages the top plate 46 at the front and back ends of said tunnel. Spaced apart sets of walls 41 and 43 upstand from the base plate 40 and operate in slots 61 and 62 in the plates 51 and 50, respectively, so as to also guide their transverse move ments. To interlock the plates 50 and 51 and maintain their movement precisely equal and opposite rack and pinion means are provided in the form of a pinion 65 rotatably supported in apertures 45 and 47, in plates 40 and 46, respectively, and racks 60 and 63 formed on the arms 58 and 57, respectively, to engage said pinion 65. The toe of a ski boot B fits over the top plate 46 between the walls 52 and 53 which are moved inwardly or outwardly to fit said boot B and then fastened in position by fastening means 68 which operate through apertures in the top plate 46 and through said slots 61 and 62 to anchor in the ski S for which purpose said ski S may be provided with threaded metal bushings (not shown) to better withstand the repeated fastening and unfastening required of the fastening means 68 for size adjustments. Said boot B is held in place between said walls 52 and 53 by conventional spikes 111 which upstand from the top plate 46 and by a spring wire clamp member 125 and lock member 115 therefor and corresponding parts for each 126, 128, 130, 132, 112, 117,

I18, 119 and 120 which function as before described for the clamp member 25 and lock member 15. The clamp member 125 may be transversely expanded or contracted prior or subsequent to adjustment of the plates 50 and 51 to accommodate different sizes of ski boots B or may be replaced by larger or smaller bails as the particular case may require.

By virtue of the slidably moveable plates 50 and 51 and the guiding and interlocking of the movements thereof different sizes of ski boots are accommodated with a single ski binding with concommitent savings in fabrication costs and with the features and advantages of the prior embodiment in respect to positively clamping and locking the ski boot while affording maximum stride.

it will thus be seen that there has been provided by my invention a cross-country type ski binding system in which the object hereinabove set forth, together with many thoroughly practical advantages, has been successfully achieved. While preferred embodiments of my invention have been shown and described it is to be understood that variations and changes may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my inventon as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Improvement in cross-country type ski boot bind ing means consisting of a toe iron, a clamp member and a lock member for said clamp member both pivotally mounted via longitudinally spaced apart respective stationary pivot axes, said clamp member comprising a bail whose ends are journaled on said toe iron which define the stationary pivot axis for the clamp member to move from a lowered, forwardly extending clamping position in which it presses down upon the sole adjacent the toe of a ski boot for clamping the latter in said toe iron and a raised upwardly extending released position in which the ski boot is released from said toe iron, the lock member being positioned ahead of said clamp member, said improvement comprising means for holding the clamp member and the lock member in engagement with each other after movement of said clamp member from its released position to its clamping position, said clamp member being a spring wire bail, said lock member being pivotally mounted as aforesaid and having a detent formed in the rearward end thereof for engagement with the forward end of the clamp member upon pivoting of the clamp member to the clamping position whereupon the engaging portions of the clamp member and detent form a pivot axis which moves downwardly over-center of the two stationary pivot axes defined by the pivotal mountings of the clamp memmber and lock member during movement of said clamp member from its released position to its clamping position to thereby lock the clamp member in its clamping position where it presses down upon the sole adjacent the toe of a ski boot, said spring wire clamp member being compressed during said over-center movement whereby to positively lock the toe of said ski boot in said toe iron while permitting maximum lift of the heel thereof.

2. Improvement in ski boot binding means as claimed in claim 1, means on said clamp member for pushing downwardly thereon to move the same into its clamping position, said clamp member pushing downwardly upon said lock member during movement of the former into its clamping position by use of said means for pushing downwardly on the clamp member.

3. Improvement in ski boot binding means as claimed in claim 2, means on said lock member for pushing downwardly thereon to move said clamp member into its released position, said lock member pushing upwardly upon said clamp member to move the latter into its released position upon use of said means for pushing downwardly on the lock member. 

1. Improvement in cross-country type ski boot binding means consisting of a toe iron, a clamp member and a lock member for said clamp member both pivotally mounted via longitudinally spaced apart respective stationary pivot axes, said clamp member comprising a bail whose ends are journaled on said toe iron which define the stationary pivot axis for the clamp member to move from a lowered, forwardly extending clamping position in which it presses down upon the sole adjacent the toe of a ski boot for clamping the latter in said toe iron and a raised upwardly extending released position in which the ski boot is released from said toe iron, the lock member being positioned ahead of said clamp member, said improvement comprising means for holding the clamp member and the lock member in engagement with each other after movement of said clamp member from its released position to its clamping position, said clamp member being a spring wire bail, said lock member being pivotally mounted as aforesaid and having a detent formed in the rearward end thereof for engagement with the forward end of the clamp member upon pivoting of the clamp member to the clamping position whereupon the engaging portions of the clamp member and detent form a pivot axis which moves downwardly over-center of the two stationary pivot axes defined by the pivotal mountings of the clamp memmber and lock member during movement of said clamp member from its released position to its clamping position to thereby lock the clamp member in its clamping position where it presses down upon the sole adjacent the toe of a ski boot, said spring wire clamp member being compressed during said over-center movement whereby to positively lock the toe of said ski boot in said toe iron while permitting maximum lift of the heel thereof.
 2. Improvement in ski boot binding means as claimed in claim 1, means on said clamp member for pushing downwardly thereon to move the same into its clamping position, said clamp member pushing downwardly upon said lock member during movement of the former into its clamping position by use of said means for pushing downwardly on the clamp member.
 3. Improvement in ski boot binding means as claimed in claim 2, means on said lock member for pushing downwardly thereon to move said clamp member into its released position, said lock member pushing upwardly upon said clamp member to move the latter into its released position upon use of said means for pushing downwardly on the lock member. 